Ghairat

There are many things worth living for, a few things worth dying for, but nothing worth killing for. He was my respected brother, but he killed my sister in the name of honor. He threw acid on her and burned her because she wanted to live her life her way. Her sin was that he was her brother!’ I, Saba, along with my mother was screaming; begging in front of him for her life. But what we saw is the ashes of her body in the end. Who gave him this right to take someone’s life? How can someone gain honor by killing his sister? Like my sister; hundreds of daughters and sisters have been murdered for allegedly bringing shame on their families in various ways, including choosing to marry men of their own choice and sometimes for a very petty reason like supporting a friend elope. And such people walk away without any punishment due to the same ‘honor’ we all like to protect. As a sister of the very same brother, I faced similar hurdles to save my life, I kept on looking outside for help. My cousin; my supporter, my life saver apparently became the love of my life. There could be no possible honor in killing someone. Would I as a girl in this society ever be able to take stand for my sister or myself? This story is not just of my family but could be of yours. Let us all stop this killing of daughters and sisters in the name of GHAIRAT!